Kwara firefighters contain early-morning blaze at Church quarters in Ilorin

By Ahmed Olayinka

The Kwara State Fire Service has successfully contained a fire outbreak that affected the boys’ quarters of Christ Celestial Church of God Ife Oluwa in the Tanke area of Ilorin, preventing the incident from spreading to other parts of the church premises, THE PRIME NEWS reports.

According to the Fire Service, the incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at about 6:18 a.m., at the church located opposite UMCA Chapel along Chapel Secondary School Road, Tanke, Ilorin.

The fire affected four rooms within the boys’ quarters before firefighters arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control.

Preliminary investigations by the Fire Service revealed that the fire was caused by a candle that had been left burning overnight to provide illumination in one of the rooms. The candle flame reportedly ignited nearby combustible materials, triggering the blaze.

Firefighters responded promptly to the distress call and swiftly battled the inferno, successfully containing it and preventing further damage to adjoining structures within the church compound and surrounding buildings.

Speaking on the incident, the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Chief Fire Superintendent Alabi Muhammed, urged residents to exercise caution when using naked flames, particularly candles.

He warned against leaving candles unattended, especially overnight or in enclosed spaces, stressing that such practices pose significant fire risks.

The Fire Service boss also encouraged members of the public to adopt safer alternative lighting sources and ensure that flammable materials are kept away from open flames.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the Kwara State Fire Service to protecting lives and property through prompt emergency response and sustained public enlightenment on fire safety measures.

No casualty was reported in the incident.